Nut cracker



C. B. REPP NUT CRACKER Oct. 17, 1933.

Filed April 17, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Oct. 17, 1933.

c. B. REPP 1,930,692

NUT CRACKER Filed April 17, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR QQ W ATTORNEY,

O 7, 1933- c. B REPP 1,930,692

NUT CRAGKER Eiled April 1?, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Illlllllll 6a 8 53 42, 12

ATTORNEY.

C. B. REPP NUT CRACKER Oct. 17, 1933.

Filed April 17, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M .WH

%; ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NUT CRACKER Clinton B. Repp, Plainfield, N. J.

Application April 17, 1930. Serial No. 145,116

22 Claims. (Cl. 146-8) My invention relates to nut crackers, and more blade carrying heads within the limits or the particularly to a machine of this character paravailable power and of the strength of the maticularly adapted for use in removing the shell terials used. or pericarp from cohune nuts. It is essential, in the machine 01' the invention,

5 The cohune nut has a kernel which is very rich that the parts be so arranged and so constructed so in oil, but because of the extreme difficulty of as to afford great rigidity in the carriers during removing the kernel from the shell, which is very the operative engagement of the chisel blades thick and tough, and the wastage through the with the nut, notwithstanding that a sharp blow crushing of the kernel when this is attempted to is resorted to in effecting the cracking or the be done mechanically on a commercial scale, is shell or pericarp. 55 so great, (amounting to'sixty percent or more), In order to secure high capacity in the machine, the industrial use of the oil has been greatly curit is desirable that the carriers shall have contailed, since it cannot be produced at a sufliciently tinuing movement and that the chisel blades shall low figure to compete with similar vegetable oils have movement with the carriers during their such as cocoanut oil. engagement with a nut, and shall have substan- 70 With the above conditions in mind, I have protially no movement in relation thereto.. In fact, duced a machine embodying therein a series of the carriers for the chisel blades have a sort movable carriers associated with means for deof four-way movement, downwardly, forwardly livering cohune nuts thereto, said carriers being with a nut during a part of the downward movesuccessively brought into operative relation to a ment, upwardly out of engagement with the nut 75 reciprocatory member carrying a plurality of while having a forward movement, and'back- Chisels so'set in relation to the carriers as to penewardly to complete the cycle preparatory to the trate the shell or pericarp of the nut to an extent next downward stroke. During these movements, to effectively crack the same and loosen the parts the chisel blades are held against any tilting or in relation to the kernel of the nut, while minirocking action, always remaining substantially mizing any possibility of the crushing of the perpendicularly to the plane of travel of the kernel either as a result of the contact of the carrier. chisels therewith, or of the collapsing of the shell It is also desirable to provide a stripper coor pericarp upon the kernel. operating with the chisel blades, since there is fre- 30 By such a construction I am not only enabled quently a tendency of the shell of the nuts to close to produce a substantially continuously operating upon these blades sufficiently tightly to tend to machine, but am enabled to operate this machine cause them to be withdrawn from the carrier by at a speed sufficiently high to secure a high cathe blade. This condition might result in the pacity in the machine. jamming of the machine.

35 The toughness inherent to the shell or pericarp There is also possibility of the nuts being so of the cohune nut is relied upon to secure the spread as to prevent their falling freely from the desired operative effects of the machine, since pockets of their own accord. To correct this this property of the nut will resist the crushing condition,Iprovide ejector members .co-operating stresses applied thereto in the machine and cause with the various carriers for the purpose of forc- 40 the splitting-or cracking of the shell, as distining the .nuts outwardly of the carriers and thus guished from the crushing'thereof. The carriers ensure the clearing of each pocket as it reaches themselves are so constructed that the violent the discharge point. impact of the chiselblades with the nut is ac- As I have heretofore stated, the carrier and companied by the development of stresses which chisel blade mechanisms merely split the shell or 45 will assist the action of the chisel in dividing the. the nut and loosen it from the kernel. In most shell or pericarp into a small number of large instances, as the nut leaves the carrier, the varipieces about the entire nut, so as to facilitate ous portions of the shell remain in the same form the subsequent separation of the shell from the as when leaving the chisel blades, that is, the

kernel. shell is split into a number of large pieces which 50 The construction of the machine of my invencontinue to inclose the kernel, but loosely.

tion is such as to accommodate its use to nuts It is desirable, to avoid the hand separation of having a fairly wide range of variation in size. the kernel from the nut, to incorporate in the With the machine embodying the invention, it machine a mechanism by which the kernels will is possible to increase the capacity of the machine be separated from the fractured shell by im- 55 by a multiplication of the carrier units and chisel pelling the shell against a back plate sufliciently forcibly to cause what might be termed an explosion of the shell and the separation of the kernel from any portion thereof. In connection with this impelling mechanism, I provide a conveyor belt similar to what is used in some forms of agricultural machinery, which will permit the kernels, which are rounded, to pass by gravity from the belt, but cause the sections of the shell to adhere to the belt and be removed to a discharge point where they may be collected for subsequent treatment to secure the various biproducts obtainable therefrom.

The construction of the machine is such that the nuts may be cracked thereby without removing the outer hulls, and the lower part of such hulls will assist in preventing a complete separation of the various parts of the cracked shell prior to their delivery to the impeller.

The invention consists primarily in a nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, the blades of said group being spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally, tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group. A carrier units comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine embodying the invention, parts thereof being broken away and the view being laterally and longitudinally condensed;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the chisel blade head and its actuating means;

Fig. 5 is a view from the right of Fig. 1 on the line 55, said view being broken away and laterally condensed;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the chisel blade construction;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the saddles of a carrier unit and portions of the two adjacent saddles;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section of a cohune nut showing the action of the machine thereon; and

Fig. 10 is a top View thereof.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, I provide a machine embodying a plurality of carrier units, each of which is a duplicate of the other, and associated with each unit is a plurality of chisel blades or wedges carried by a head, the construction and arrangement of each of which is identical with that of every other. In the following description it is therefore necessary only to describe in detail the construction of one of said units and of the chisel blade or wedge construction associated therewith, and those parts and mechanisms associated with each of said units and each set, of said blades, it being understood that the number of such units, such blades and associated parts may be increased by duplication and all be operated simultaneously from the same source of power in order to increase the capacity of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown at 11 a head mounted upon a crank pin 12 carried by crank arms 13 upon a shaft 14. Carried by the head 11 are a plurality of groups of chisel blades or wedges, four in number, spaced in relation to each other so as to engage a nut adjacent the opposite ends and adjacent opposite sides thereof and act upon the shell or pericarp of the nut at points where such blades or wedges will not, under ordinary conditions, contact with the kernel during the cracking operation. It is not at all uncommon for the cohune nuts to have nested kernels, two or more in number, although in the general run of the nuts there is a single elongated spherical kernel.

In the drawings, the chisel members or wedges adapted to engage the nut adjacent the opposite ends thereof are shown at 15 and 16, and those adapted to engage the sides of the nut are shown at 17 and 18. These chisel blades are laterally tapered toward the ends thereof, as shown more particularly in Figs. 6 and '7, and the edges presented toward each other are stepped as shown in order to minimize possibility of the development of a crushing action upon the nut. A sharp edge is not used upon these blades, not only because such is not required, but because it would be impossible to keep such edges sharp, and because the shell or pericarp of the nut is so hard and tough that a narrow edge would be quickly broken even if hardened steel be used.

The blades or wedges are arranged in pairs oppositely disposed, and are spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufficiently great to present a space within the blades or wedges adjacent the ends thereof large enough to receive the largest kernel which nuts of the size which can be handled by the machine, would normally contain.

The stepped edge of each of the various blades is indicated at 19. In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings the chisel blades are shown to scale, but even with the dimensions illustrated, there is always possibility of the breakage of such blades or wedges. To permit economical production, but also the convenient substitution of new blades or wedges in the event of breakage, I form the wedges 15 and 16 separately from the wedges 17 or 18, and provide each pair with a base such as 20 and 21, connected together by means of a screw 22 which is also utilized to connect the chisel blade or wedge structure to the head -11. I

I have found by actual practice that the most effective separation of the kernel from the shell or pericarp canbe secure-d by ensuring a complete fracture of the shell across the minor axis of the nut, or transversely thereof, as shown in the drawings, and that the making of this complete fracture assists in the making of a fracture along at least one major axis of the nut. To ensure this complete transverse fracture, I make the blades 1'7 and 18 of greater length than the blades 15 and 16 which, in addition to ensuring a greater penetration of these blades, will compensate for the curvature at opposite sides of the nut while in the machine and ensure the successive engagement of the pairs of blades or wedges therewith.

Co-operating with each set of chisel blades or wedges is a carrier unit, which unit is made up of a plurality of saddles 23, pivoted in relation to each other as shown more particularly in Fig. 8 of the drawings. Each saddle 23 comprises a stem 24 having a knuckle 25 formed thereon by means of which the saddle is pivotally connected with a contiguous saddle.

The end of the stem 24 opposite said knuckle is enlarged and provided with a semi-spherical recess 26 presented toward the stem, and an ear carrying member 27, the face of the enlarged end presented away from the stem 24 being curved as shown at 28. With this construction of carrier, the nut is received between the curved face 28 of one saddle, and the semi-spherical portion 26 of the adjacent saddle, and is conveyed through the machine and in operative relation to the head carrying the co-operating chisel blades or wedges.

To facilitate the fracture of the shell or pericarp as a result of the action of the blades or wedges thereon, and ensure the complete separation of the different portions of the shell from the kernel, I provide the stem 24 with three low wedges 29, 30 and 31, the edges of the wedges 30 and 31 extending longitudinally of the stem 24 so as to co-operate with the chisel blades or wedges 1'7 and 18 in securing a longitudinal fracture of the shell, while the intermediate wedge 29 has its edge extending transversely of the stem 24 so as to co-operate with the chisel blades or wedge members 15 and 16 in securing the transverse fracture of the shell.

The construction of the saddle is therefore such as to utilize the impact force of the blades 15 and 16 to develop stresses upon the fibers of the shell or pericarp which will facilitate the ultimate-fracture of the shell transversely thereof by the blades 17 and.18, and to secure an action by the blades 17 and 18 similar to that of the blades 15 and 16, except that the resulting fracture will be longitudinally of the nut instead of transversely thereof.

Each carrier unit is endless and passes about a rotary member 32, octagonal in cross section as shown in the drawings to afford areas of sub stantially the length of each saddle. Upon each flattened surface are guide lugs 33 and 34 spaced to receive the stem 24 for properly guiding the run of the carrier unit as a whole, and keeping it in alinement with the co-operating chisel blades or wedges. The guide lugs 33 and 34 are of a height to position them below the upper surface of the stem 24. Each carrier also passes around a power driven rotary member 35 similar to the member 32 and provided with spaced lugs 36 and 3'7 which, in addition to engaging the laterally extended portion of a saddle and receiving the stem 24, are of a height to engage a nut positioned upon the saddle and act as an ejector adjacent the point of delivery of the nut from the carrier.

The carrier unit spans the space between the rotary members 32 and 35 above which space the head and the chisel blades or wedges are located.

Considerable power is required to fracture the shell or pericarp, and I have found it desirable, to avoid a breakage of the carrier mechanism, to provide directly below the shaft 14 an anvil support with which the saddles contact, and. by which they are supported during the -operation of fracturing the shell. In order to eliminate friction as much as possible, I make this anvil support in the form of three closely adjacent, idly mounted heavy rollers 38, 39 and 40.

As will appear more fully hereinafter, the condition of the fracture of the shell is such that the different portions thereof have a tendency to hang together after the fracture, so that there is always a possibility of the nut being drawn upwardly with the head carrying the chisel blades after the completion of the cracking action by these blades. To correct this condition, I provide an ejecting member associated with each carrier unit, consisting of a tongue member 41 supported by a cross bar 42 from the side frames of the machine and projecting within the space between the chisel blades so as to engage the nut Within each saddle and hold it against withdrawal from the saddle by the blades. The tongue member 41 is normally so positioned as to permit the passage of a nut of any size which the machine is capable of handling, beneath same and is normally inoperative at all times unless the nuts should rise with the blades. The sup? port 42 is located at one side of the path of movement of the blades in order to avoid collision of parts. One of the forks of the tongue 41 may be dispensed with if desired.

In order to permit the operation of the machine at its maximum capacity, I provide an automatic feeder by which the nut may be graded as to size and delivered to each of the saddles as they pass into the upper reach of the carrier unit. The detailed construction of this feeder mechanism, except insofar as the placing of the nut in the saddle is concerned, is immaterial to, and forms no part of, my present invention.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown associated with each unit, a tubular feed chute 43, the end of which, adjacent the carrier, is bent to a position substantially parallel with the upper reach of the carrier unit. The bottom of the tubular chute is cut away, as shown at 44, so as to permit the saddles to enter and pick up the lowermost nut in the tube. These tubes are of a diameter slightly larger than the largest transverse dimension of any nut which the machine will be required to handle, so as to permit-the free movement of the nuts therefrom to the delivery end of the tube. To avoid possible improper feeding of the nuts to the saddles, I provide a shield adjacent each unit, which projects through the opening 44 in the tube and above the wedges 29, 30 and 31.

The tube is pivotally mounted upon the frame of the machine so as to permit it to oscillate freely with the two-fold object of ensuring a proper feeding movement of the ends thereof, and the rise and fall of the tubes adjacent the carriers and the shields 45 as a result of the movement of the rotary member 32 and of the nuts positioned within the different saddles.

It has been heretofore pointed out that in the operation of the machine, the action of the chisel blades or wedges is not such as to separate the various fragments of the shell from each other, this action being merely a fracturing or splitting action with the incidental loosening of the kernel from the walls of the cavity within which it is contained. While it would be possible to remove the fractured nuts from the machine and subject them to a final flailing or similar action to separate the kernels from the shells, it is preferable to provide in the machine a mechanism which will receive the nuts from the various carrier units and subject them to a treatment which will completely separate the kernels from the shell and deliver the constituent parts of the nuts thus separated to different points of collection.

To secure this result, I provide, adjacent the rotary member 35, a housing 46 within which is rotated, at high speed, an impeller 4'7 having a plurality of blades 48 set tangentially of the axis of the impeller shaft. These blades are of a width to have the edges thereof reach a position closely adjacent the tops of the saddles at the delivery point of the carrier units, so that the fractured nuts will drop from the carrier units toward the housing 46 in the path of movement of the blades. Perforations are provided in the blades merely for the purpose of reducing resistance to their rotation.

The back of the housing 46 is open, and spaced therefrom is an impact plate 49, against which the fractured nuts are violently impacted as they are thrown from the housing by the impeller blades. This impact will almost invariably separate the shells and the kernels of the nuts without injury to the latter.

Below the impact plate 49 is a conveyor belt, such as is commonly used on some types of agricultural machinery. This belt is shown at 50 and is pitched laterally of the machine so that the kernels of the nut will roll freely therefrom, and the jagged and irregular fragments of the shells and hulls of the nuts will remain on the belt and be conveyed to their point of ultimate collection or delivery.

The enlarged end.26 is forked as shown more particularly in Fig. 5 to permit each saddle to pass the shield 45. The tops of the enlarged end 26 of each saddle impart vibratory movement to the feed tube associated with each carrier unit.

Since the head 11 is pivotally mounted upon the crank pin 12, means must be provided to prevent the chisel members being moved out of perpendicular as a result of the travel of the nuts during the engagement of the chisels therewith. By providing such means I cause the chisel members to engage the nut with a directly vertical impact, using the crank, and the pivotal connection of the head therewith, solely for the purpose of securing the desired limited vertical movement of the head and a horizontal component of movement thereof with the nut necessary to the employment of a continuously moving carrier.

In the form of the invention shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, I employ a shaft 51, counter to the shaft 14, having crank arms 52 carrying a crank pin 53. Pivotally mounted upon this crank pin is one or more links 54, the free ends of which are set between the carrier head 11 and the crank pin 12, and provided with bearings engaging said last named crank pin. The shaft 51 carries a sprocket gear 55, the shaft 14 being provided with a similar sprocket wheel 56 which is geared to the wheel 55 by the chain 57. By the use of such links, the chisels are always vertically disposed and the four-way movement above referred to is secured.

The links 54 also serve to reinforce the head 11, and a plurality of such links is used for reinforcing the head at different points throughout its length, although this is of secondary importance since other methods of securing such reinforcement may be adopted.

It is obvious that the travel of the carrier unit and the angular speed of the shaft 14 must be so proportioned as to ensure the actuation of the chisel members upon a nut within each saddle, and the travel of the chisel and the saddle at the same speed during the engagement of the chisels with the nut. This is doneby means of-a main power mechanism which, in the form of the invention shown, comprises a worm gear 58 carried by the rotary member 35, and a worm shaft 59 co-operating with said worm gear. A power pulley 60 is carried by said shaft and the end of the shaft is also squared as shown at 61 to receive a hand crank.

Carried by one of the arbors of the member 35 is a large gear 62 enmeshed with a small gear 63 carried by the shaft 14. The ratio of the gears 62 and 63 is as 8 to 1, and the member 35, through the worm gear and shafts has twelve revolutions per minute. These figures, however, are merely by way of example and may be varied.

I also provide the shaft 14 with a large sprocket wheel 64 which is connected with a small sprocket wheel 65 upon the shaft of the impeller 4'? by a sprocket chain 66. The ratio of the gears 64 and 65 as shown is as 6 to 1.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, I have indicated the hull of the nut by the reference numeral 67, the outer shell or pericarp at 68, the inner or hard shell or pericarp at 69 and the kernel at '70. The outer shell 68 is very tough and has fibers running therethrough adjacent the outer surface thereof. The inner shell 69 is very hard and possesses relatively less compressibility and elasticity than the outer shell, but nevertheless is integral therewith. These conditions are explained because of their effect upon the operation of the machine of the invention.

The operation of the herein described nut cracker is substantially as follows:-

When power is applied to the machine, the member 35 is continuously rotated to impart continuous travel to each carrier unit of the machine. The rotary member 32 is an idler member serving merely to guide the carrier units. The number of carrier units incorporated in the machine may be varied to meet the requirements of the available power, or the conditions of use of the machine. For field work small light machines may be required, and it may be desirable to operate such machines by hand. If the nuts are collected and carted to a field shop where power is available, then larger, power driven machines may be employed.

The capacity of the machine is determined largely by the number of carrier units and chisel members carried by the head 11 and the speed of the machine. If ten carrier units and ten sets of chisel members are used with the ratio described as to the power mechanism, 960 nuts per minute may be cracked and the output of the machine per day should be approximately 15 tons.

With the travel of the saddles of the carrier unit, the shaft 14 is continuously rotated, the circumferential or angular speed of the crank pin 12 being substantially that of the lineal speed of the saddles. The chisel members are in engagement with the nuts during substantially one-third of the rotation of the crank shaft, thus allowing a sufficient interval to bring a saddle with the nut contained thereon, into the operative relation to saidmembers following the cracking of the nut in the preceding saddle.

It'is to be notedthat the vertical stroke of the chisel members is equal to the radius of the cranks 13, since the head 11 pivots upon the crank pin 12 and is maintained in a position in relation thereto. which will cause the chisel members to always extend vertically and be presented toward the carrier 11111131.

The nuts pass down the tubular chute 43 associated with each carrier unit, dropping through the cutaway portion 44 of the chute and resting upon the shield 45 which extends parallel with the upper reach of the traveller unit above the path of the stem 24 of each saddle. As the enlarged extension 26 of the succeeding saddle reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, it engages the nut and advances it with the carrier unit, and in the event that it does not engage the rear end of the nut in the direction of its movement, advances the nut along the shield 45 in a manner to properly adjust it in relation to the saddle.

There may be a lifting of the nut by the extension 26, and there will be a lifting of the end of the tube 43 by such extension, either through the nut or by a direct engagement of the extension with the tube. The pivotal support for the tube permits oscillatory movement thereof, which will also assist in ensuring a proper descent of succeeding nuts through the tube. The combined action of the tube 43, the shield 45 and the carrier unit upon the nut will properly adjust it in the saddle, which adjustment will not be interfered with by the short wedges 29, 30 and 31.

As each saddle of each carrier unit approaches the vertical radius of the shaft 14, the chisel members or wedges 15, 16, 1'7 and 18 engage the top of the nut adjacent the opposite ends and the opposite sides thereof, said members or wedges straddling the kernel '70 of the nut. The initial contact between each of the wedges is at the lower part of the stepped portion 19 of each wedge, and by reason of the arcuate path followed by said members or wedges there will be a progressively increasing stress developed, which, notwithstanding the speed of operation of the machine, will cause the cracking of the nut to proceed in a series of steps.

With the initial engagement of the four spaced chisel members or wedges, the wedges will cleave through the husk 6'7 and penetrate the tough outer shell 68. The end wedges 15 and 16, by reason of the curvature of the under side of the nut, will develop downward stresses upon opposite sides of the short intermediate wedge 29, placing a severe strain upon the upper portion of the shell immediately above such wedge, and substantially along the line of contact of the side wedges l7 and 18.

Immediately following the development of such stresses, the side wedges 17 and 18 will develop similar stresses upon opposite sides of the short wedges 30 and 31, thus tending to develop longitudinal stresses upon the upper portion of the shell immediately opposite these wedges and substantially along the line of contact of the end wedges l5 and 16.

With the continued downward movement of the head 11 and the wedges 15 to 18, the succeeding stepped portions of each member or wedge will penetrate the shell nearer the kernel '70 and along the line of the development of stresses, due to the short wedges 29, 30 and 31, in the manner above described. The result of this progressive subjection of the nut to varying and increasing strains is an irregular fracture of the shell and the separation of the particles of shell in a manner to free the kernel or loosen it in relation to the fractured shell.

In the operation of the machine, the separation of the shell into a plurality of parts is not by any well defined line of cleavage, but is an irregular fracture due to the 'wedging action of the members 15 to 18 and 29 to 31. When the crank pin 12 is at its lower vertical center, the action of the various wedges is completed. As the crank pin approaches this lower center, the

force applied to the nut rapidly increases so that the final cracking action is the result of the application of a short but very powerful downward thrust of the chisel members or wedges 15 to 18.

The foregoing operations continue during the movement of the nut cross the anvil support rollers 38, 39 and 40, which back up in the saddle in a manner to cause the full power applied to the head 11 to act upon the nut, since there can be no yield of the carrier unit at the point of the application of the cracking stresses to the nut, and no breakage of a saddle as a result of such stresses. 'In fact, when the greatest force is being appliedto the nut by the members or wedges 15 to 18, every portion of the stem 24 subjected to heavy stresses is so reinforced as to ensure against any yielding of said stem.

As heretofore stated, the hull 67 and the fibers of the outer shell 68 prevent a complete separation of the different parts of the shell while in the saddle. In fact, the different parts of the shell may so closely hug the chisel blades or members 15 to 18 as to cause these blades to have a tendency to lift the nut with its fractured shell from the saddle.

The ejector tongue 41, during the upward movement of the head 11, is interposed in the path of the nut so as to resist any material upward movement thereof with said head.

The spreading of the nut by the chisel members or wedges tends .to cause them to bind within the saddle, and it is for this reason that I provide the rotary member 35 with the spaced lugs 36 and 37 of a height to project well above the stem 24 so as to force the nuts from the 'saddle as the carrier unit passes about said member 35.

As the carrier unit passes downwardly about the member 35, which is turned in a contraclockwise direction as shown in Fig. 1, the nut with its fractured shell will pass between the blades of theimpeller 47 within the housing 46 and be violently projected by said blades against the back plate 49, the force of the impact serving to completely separate all of the parts of the fractured shell causing them to fall clearof the kernel upon the belt 50. by which they will be conveyed from adjacent the machine. The lateral pitch of this belt, as stated, is merely to, permit the kernels to roll therefrom and be separated from the particles of shell which will adhere to the belt.

The above action occurs in relation to each sad dle of the carrier unit, so that there is a continuous feeding, cracking and delivery of the nuts. There is always the possibility of a failure of the delivery of a nut to any saddle, but the percentage of such failures will be very low, and no disarrangement or breakage of parts can result from such failure.

' It is desired to point out that the cracking of I the nut is due to the application of progressively increasing pressure at divergent points of the shell in a manner to avoid any crushing action upon the shell. The construction and arrangement of the chisel members or wedges is such .that under normal conditions there is no possizontal diameter of the nut, thus placing the uppermost step of each stepped edge 19, well above the kernel.

It is desired to repeat that the separation of the shell or pericarp results not from a shearing action along a well defined line, but by a wedging action accompanied by a progressively increasing penetration of the shell by the chisel members or wedges. The line of fracture is seldom twice alike, and is along irregular jagged lines, as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings.

The hard inner shell 69 is seldom if ever engaged by the chisel members or wedges 15 to 18, and the fracture of this shell is due entirely to the complex stresses to which the nut is subjected by reason of the location and arrangement of the various chisel members or wedges, both as to those carried by the head 11 and by the stem 24.

By using a stepped edge 19 on the chisel members or wedges, I secure a plurality of rapidly succeeding impacts followed by a local shearing action accompanied and followed by a wedging action, the last of which is the effective agency in causing the fracture of the shell of a nut.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

2. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending, narrow chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufficiently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

3. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending, narrow chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufficiently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, and having the lower ends thereof stepped, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisen blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

4. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending,narrow chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufiiciently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, and having the lower ends thereof stepped, the blades adapted to engage the sides of the nut being relatively longer than the other blades, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

5. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufliciently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

6. A nut cracker embodying. therein a head, a

group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufficiently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered and having the lower ends thereof stepped, the blades adapted to engage the sides of the nut being relatively longer than the other blades, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

I. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a

plurality of chisel blades in spaced relation to each other upon said head, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, each of said saddles comprising a stem having a knuckle adand out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

8. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufiiciently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, each of said saddles comprising a stem having a knuckle adjacent one end thereof, an enlarged portion adjacent the other end thereof provided with a semi-spherical recess upon the face thereof toward the stem, and a curved face upon the opposite side of said extended end, and an ear carrying member adjacent said enlarged end, means pivotally connecting adjacent saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally-of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

9. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center or the group a distance sufiiciently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered and having the lower ends thereof stepped, the blades adapted to engage the sides of the nut being relatively longer than the other blades, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, each of said saddles comprising a stem having a knuckle adjacent one end thereof, an enlarged portion adjacent the other end thereof provided with a semi-spherical recess upon the face thereof toward the stem, and a curved face upon the opposite side of said extended end, and an ear carrying member adjacent said enlarged end, means pivotally connecting adjacent saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

10. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle, and an anvil support engageable by said saddles during the operative engagement of said chisel blades with a nut.

11. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufiiciently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered and having the lower ends thereof stepped, the blades adapted to engage the sides of the nut being relatively longer than the other blades, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle, and an anvil support engageable by said saddles during the oper ative engagement of said chisel blades with a nut.

12. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of chisel blades arranged in two pairs, spaced from each other and from the center of the group a distance sufficiently great to cause said blades to act adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut, said blades being laterally tapered and having the lower ends thereof stepped, the blades adapted to engage the sides of the nut being relatively longer than the other blades, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, three low wedges upon each saddle, said wedges being in longitudinal alinement, and the end wedges having their edges extending longitudinally of the saddle, and the middle wedge having its edge extending laterally of the saddle, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle, and an anvil support comprising three adjacent, idly mounted, heavy rollers engageable by said saddles during the operative engagement of said chisel blades with a nut.

13. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, a rotary member, lugs thereon adapted to receive each saddle between same, and by engagement therewith to impart movement thereto, means continuously rotating said rotary member, a second and idly mounted rotary member, lugs thereon adapted to receive each saddle between same, said rotary members being positioned upon opposite sides of said head, and said carrier unit being an endless member, whereby said saddles are successively brought into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

14. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a plurality of chisel blades in spaced relation to each other upon said head, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, a rotary member, lugs thereon adapted to receive each saddle between same, and by engagement therewith to impart movement thereto, means continuously rotating said rotary member, a second and idly mounted rotary member, lugs thereon adapted to receive each saddle between same,

said rotary members being positioned upon opposite sides of said head, and said carrier unit being an endless member, whereby said saddles are successively brought into the operative relation to said chisel blades, the lugs upon said power driven rotary member being of a height to engage and eject a nut from each saddle while passing about said rotary member, and the lugs upon said idle member being of a height to be positioned in their entirety below said saddles, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

15. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle, and a tongue member projecting within the space between said chisel blades, whereby withdrawal of a nut from the saddle by said blades is prevented.

16. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, an oscillatory tubular feed chute adapted to convey nuts to said saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

17. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a plurality of chisel blades in spaced relation to each other upon said head, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, an oscillatory tubular feed chute adapted to convey nuts to said saddles, said chute having the bottom thereof cut away adjacent said carrier unit, a shield projecting through the opening in said chute adjacent and above the line of travel of said carrier unit, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for actuating said head to move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle.

18. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, a shaft, a crank pin carried thereby, means pivotally connecting said head with said crank pin, a shaft counter to said first named shaft, a crank pin carried thereby link connections carried by the crank pin of said counter crank shaft and engaging the crank pin. of said first named shaft and said head, whereby the chisel blades upon said head are always maintained in a substantially vertical position during the rotation of said crank shaft carrying said head, and means simultaneously actuating both of said shafts.

19. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other and to the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for successively bringing said saddles into the operative relation to said chisel blades, means for actuating said headto move said chisel blades into and out of engagement with a nut carried by each saddle, a housing adapted to receive nuts from said carrier unit, an impeller member having a plurality of blades mounted within said housing, an impact plate spaced from said housing and from said impeller blade, against which said impeller blade impacts nuts received from said carrier unit, and means for rotating said impeller member at high speed.

20. A nut cracker embodying therein a head, a group of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head, spaced in relation to each other andto the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the kernel of a nut, each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a plurality of carrier units, each comprising a plurality of nut receiving saddles, there being one carrier unit associated with each group of chisel blades, means for successively bringing the saddles of each carrier unit into the operative relation to a group of chisel blades, means for actuating said head to move the chisel blades of each group into and out of engagement with a nut carried by a saddle of each carrier unit, a housing adapted to receive nuts from all of said carrier units, an impeller member having a plurality of. blades mounted in said housing in operative relation to all of said carrier units, an impact plate spaced from said housing and from said impeller blades, against which said impeller blades, impact nuts received from said carrier units, and means for. rotating said impeller member at high speed. p

21. Anut cracker embodying therein'a head, a plurality of vertically extending chisel blades upon said head in spaced relation to each other and the center of the group, whereby said blades will not engage the-kernel of a-nut each of said blades having a laterally tapered, narrow edge presented toward the center of the group, a carrier unit comprising-a plurality of nut receiving saddles, means for imparting continuous uni-directional travel to said carrier unit, whereby said saddles are successively brought into the operative relation to said chisel blades, and means for imparting continuous rotary movement to said head, whereby said chisel blades are brought into and out of engagement with a nut cai'ried by each, saddle and have movement with the carrier unit while engaged with a nut.

22. A nut cracking machine embodying therein gc means. operative adjacent the opposite sides and the opposite ends of a nut to develop'lateral and longitudinal cleavages in the shell thereof, a carrier unit for supporting the nut and moving it into the operative range of said means, and a mechanism receiving nuts from said carrier unit after they have been acted upon by said first named means, and operative to separate the shell from the kernel of the nut.

CLINTON B. REPP. 

